Duty free store rep calls for elimination of all border testing, amid change from PCR to rapid antigen testing

Barbara Barrett, executive director for the Frontier Duty Free Association during an interview with CTV Windsor's Sanjay Maru on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.

 

A representative for more than 30 duty free stores at Canada's land borders says Ottawa's move to scrap pre-arrival PCR testing for fully vaccinated travellers does not go far enough to help border tourism businesses rebound from a tough few years.

Starting March 1, the federal government will no longer require a pre-arrival PCR test to enter the country, meaning travellers can instead choose to take a cheaper rapid antigen test taken no longer than 24 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border.

But for Barbara Barrett, executive director for the Frontier Duty Free Association which operates the 33 duty free stores on the Canadian side of the land border, the change may do little to encourage more cross-border travel.

"Now that we're in this community spread situation, the measures at the border and testing measures at the land border don't seem to make any sense," she said.

Much of her concerns with the use of rapid antigen testing at the border stems from recent comments made by infectious diseases doctor and associate professor at McMaster University Dr. Zain Chagla.

"What are we trying to prevent with testing? Are we trying to prevent Omicron cases from coming into Canada? Well, there’s a lot of Omicron that’s already in Canada,” Chagla told CTV News last week, adding that testing access is limited in Ontario.

For Barrett, the switch from PCR testing at the border to rapid antigen testing is a "non-measure."

"We need the border to harmonize with the United States and drop testing altogether when our own doctors are saying that it's not helping with the spread of the disease," she said.

There's another big change coming to how Ontarians deal with COVID-19 starting March 1.

The province's vaccine passport system will be scrapped at all non-essential businesses in the province, according to an announcement Monday from Premier Doug Ford.

According to Barrett, the impending lifting of restrictions at these types of businesses needs to match what's happening at the border.

"We're going to be able to go to restaurants with non-vaccinated people — but fully vaccinated people can't travel over the border in a car with their family. They need an antigen test to travel back. I need somebody to help me make that make sense," she said.

Despite the change from PCR to rapid antigen testing, Barrett fears that testing of any kind at the border may do little to encourage help struggling businesses.

"I have [a duty free store] owner, out west, who just called today and said he can't pay his heating bill. It's that bad," said Barrett.

- With files from CTV's Sarah Turnbull and Michele Brunoro